149—Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Bakran informed us. Al-Hasan ⦗113⦘ ibn Sufyan informed us. Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan narrated to us. He said: Amr ibn Uthman ibn Dinar al-Himsi narrated to us. Ya‘qub said: I also read it to Yazid ibn Abd Rabbih. Both of them said: Abbad ibn Yusuf narrated to us. Safwan ibn Amr narrated to me, from Rashid ibn Sa‘d, from Awf ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“The Jews divided into seventy-one sects: one is in Paradise, and seventy are in the Fire. The Christians divided into seventy-two sects: one is in Paradise, and seventy-one are in the Fire. By Him in whose hand is my soul, my community will surely divide into seventy-three sects: one is in Paradise, and seventy-two are in the Fire.”
It was asked, “Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The united body.”